Is Ireland’s unprotected ocean the weak link in European defence?

Russian presence in Irish waters underscores the fact that, rather than being out of sight and out of mind, the country is on the frontline For a long time, Ireland paid little attention to its surrounding seas, a vast maritime area, 10 times the size of the land. Alarm bells began ringing only when a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, began visiting Irish waters. The vessel, ostensibly a research ship, is believed to be capable of attaching spy equipment to undersea cables and has advertised its presence. While loitering in the Irish Sea in 2024, the ship remained over a gas pipeline connecting Ireland and the UK and turned on its transponder, as if broadcasting its proximity to critical infrastructure. In recent weeks, Irish officials have also noticed a rise in Russian shadow fleet vessels traversing the north Atlantic in order to circumvent British and French waters, where controls have been stepped up. For officials, the Russian presence in or near Irish waters underscores that Ireland, which has long viewed itself as protected by geography – out of sight and out of mind – is really on the frontline. And the threat is broad. Irish waters are busy: dense with shipping lanes, gas